Teaching Guide by E. B. White

ABOUT THE BOOK Stuart Little is no ordinary mouse. Born to a family of humans, he lives in New York City with his parents, his older brother George, and Snowbell the cat. Though he’s shy and thoughtful, he’s also a true lover of adventure.

Stuart’s greatest adventure comes when his best friend, a beautiful little bird named Margalo, disappears from her nest. Determined to track her down, Stuart ventures away from home for the very first time in his life. He finds adventure aplenty. But will he find his friend?

E. B. White’s treasured story is now available to a new generation of readers as an ebook, complete with Garth Williams’s original illustrations in full-color!

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS 1. In the first two chapters, how does Stuart’s size 7. Retell the events that occur in chapter 9. How does benefit his family? CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.3-5.1 Stuart get into trouble? How is he saved? CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.3-5.1 2. In chapter 3, Stuart has difficulty washing up and brushing teeth. How do he and his family solve 8. In chapter 12, Stuart becomes a substitute teacher. these problems? CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.3-5.1 What subjects do his students study? Which is your favorite? Which is your least favorite? Why? CCSS. 3. Why does Mrs. Little think Stuart is in the mouse ELA-LITERACY.RL.3-5.1; SL.3-5.1 hole? CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.3-5.1 9. In chapter 12, Stuart and his students discuss the 4. Stuart and Dr. Carey, the boat owner, discuss sailing most important things in the world and the laws that terms that are spelled the same except for one letter they believe everyone should follow. What do they (e.g., jib/jibe, deck/dock, mast/mist). Have students choose? Do you agree with them? Why or why not? CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.3-5.1; SL.3-5.1 name pairs of words that have only one different letter. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.3-5.3 10. Why does the storekeeper think that Stuart should 5. Read chapter 6. How does Stuart move safely around meet Harriet Ames? How does Stuart feel when he first sees her?CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.3-5.1 the city? CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.3-5.1

6. What adjectives would 11. In chapter 14, Stuart’s date with Harriet does not go you use to describe Stuart as planned. How does Stuart react? Do you agree (e.g., adventurous, resourceful)? with Stuart’s behavior? Why or why not? CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.3-5.1; SL.3-5.1 What are his main character traits? 12. Read the last page of Stuart Little. Do you like CCSS.ELA-LITERACY. RL.3-5.1, 3 the ending? Why or why not? CCSS.ELA-LITERACY. RL.3-5.1; SL.3-5.1

Aligns with Common Core State Standards for Grades 3–5 Teaching Guide by E. B. White

EXTENSION ACTIVITIES 1. THE BIG CITY. Stuart Little is set in New York 3. AROUND THE WORLD. Stuart leaves home to City, and the author often refers to places in and seek his fortune. Ask students to choose a place they around the city (e.g., Central Park, the East River, might want to visit in the future. Fifth Avenue). Ask students to design a map of their Have them research this own neighborhood. Students should label streets, place using both print and buildings, parks, and other significant places in their digital sources and write an neighborhood. Students should create a map key informational piece about it. and use the corresponding symbols on their map. Students should structure They should also add a written description of the their piece by writing an neighborhood in which they live. The maps can be introductory sentence, collated into a class atlas. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.3-5.4 facts and details about their chosen place, and a 2. INVENTION CONVENTION. In chapter 11, concluding sentence. Stuart sees a tiny car that can become invisible. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.3-5.2, 7, 8 Ask students to think about something they would like to invent, such as a skateboard that flies or a 4. TO THE LETTER. In time-traveling elevator. Encourage students to be chapter 13, Stuart writes a creative and original. They should write about why letter to Harriet. Review the their invention is useful and illustrate it as well. parts of a friendly letter (heading/ Display the inventions around the classroom and hold greeting/body/closing) and have an “Invention Convention” so students can view one students write a well-developed another’s work and ask questions about what they see. letter to someone important to them. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.3-5.1, 4 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.3-5.4

E. B. WHITE, the author of beloved classics such as Charlotte’s Web, Stuart Little, and The Trumpet of the Swan, was born in Mount Vernon, New York. He graduated from Cornell University in 1921 and, five or six years later, joined the staff of The New Yorker magazine, then in its infancy. He died on October 1, 1985, and was survived by his son and three grandchildren.

Mr. White’s essays have appeared in Harper’s magazine, and some of his other books are: One Man’s Meat, The Second Tree from the Corner, Letters of E. B. White, Essays of E. B. White, and Poems and Sketches of E. B. White. He won countless awards, including the 1971 National Medal for Literature and the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award, which commended him for making a “substantial and lasting

Donald E. Johnson contribution to literature for children.”

During his lifetime, many young readers asked Mr. White if his stories were true. In a letter written to be sent to his fans, he answered, “No, they are imaginary tales. . . . But real life is only one kind of life—there is also the life of the imagination.”

Permission to reproduce and distribute these pages has been granted by the copyright holder, HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved. Guided Teaching Guide written by Sue Ornstein, a first-grade teacher in the Byram Hills School District in Armonk, New York. Reading Level R www.ebwhitebooks.com www.harpercollinschildrens.com